NFL 2012 Preseason Thread

Jake Locker has been named the Titans regular season starter. I've got high hopes for him but that preseason game against Tampa Bay last Friday didn't help ease my worries. I guess time will tell.

I hope some team trades for Hasselbeck. He can still start and do well I think.

LeapingGnome wrote:

I hope some team trades for Hasselbeck. He can still start and do well I think.

He can go to Arizona, and they can trade for Tarvaris Jackson and Colt McCoy as well. They could field five QBs at once, it would be brilliant/unstoppable/really funny.

LeapingGnome wrote:

I hope some team trades for Hasselbeck. He can still start and do well I think.

Not going to happen. Hasselbeck is insurance in case Locker tries to run one in and gets plastered.

Pffft. Shawne Merriman was released by the Bills. For the love of god don't end up on the Ravens.

Ryan Tannehill has been named the Dolphins' starter for week one. Against the Texans. Who are going to chew my man up and spit him out.

It's going to be a hard game to watch for the tens of thousands of Aggies who are fans of the Texans.

garion333 wrote:

Pffft. Shawne Merriman was released by the Bills. For the love of god don't end up on the Ravens.

MacBrave wrote:

Andrew Luck didn't look bad against the Steelers last night.

I think the Colts will probably win about 5 games this season.

Did they lose a lot of the old good team that was held together by Peyton Manning before missing almost an entire season, or do you just not think that Luck's good enough to carry the team like Manning did?

AnimeJ wrote:
MacBrave wrote:

Andrew Luck didn't look bad against the Steelers last night.

I think the Colts will probably win about 5 games this season.

Did they lose a lot of the old good team that was held together by Peyton Manning before missing almost an entire season, or do you just not think that Luck's good enough to carry the team like Manning did?

I thought he was making a positive statement considering they only won 1 game last year.

garion333 wrote:
AnimeJ wrote:
MacBrave wrote:

Andrew Luck didn't look bad against the Steelers last night.

I think the Colts will probably win about 5 games this season.

Did they lose a lot of the old good team that was held together by Peyton Manning before missing almost an entire season, or do you just not think that Luck's good enough to carry the team like Manning did?

I thought he was making a positive statement considering they only won 1 game last year.

2 games, actually. I bring it up because when you look at the seasons prior to that(10-6, 14-2, 12-4, 13-3), going 5-11 isn't really that impressive, considering that losing Manning seems to be what really killed them last year.

I totally get that going 5-11 is better than going 2-14, but with a solid quarterback anchoring the offense, they've got a proven track record of making the playoffs fairly consistently, even if they did it two years ago on a wild card, which they lost.

AnimeJ wrote:

I totally get that going 5-11 is better than going 2-14, but with a solid quarterback anchoring the offense, they've got a proven track record of making the playoffs fairly consistently, even if they did it two years ago on a wild card, which they lost.

That "proven track record" is with a roster of players that no longer exists, with coaches that are no longer there, and with a GM that's no longer there.

The roster has been depleted by a few straight years of bad drafting by Bill Polian (who, mind you, I still consider to have been an excellent GM and would not have fired. But the last few drafts of his have been a black mark).

Yes, when Polian was drafting hits left and right, the team kept making the playoffs. But there is a delay between when the bad drafting starts and when the roster decay hits. The bad drafting started a few years ago, the decay hit in full force last year.

The team was headed down into the dumps, Manning or no Manning. The timing just happened to coincide, and make the dropoff all the more dramatic.

If Luck becomes a star, that will jumpstart things, but the team is in a deep hole from bad drafting, and that takes some time to dig out of. We'll see how much value they get not only out of Luck, but the rest of the 2012 draft class. The rebuilding effort needs every good pick it can get.

Gumbie wrote:

Jake Locker has been named the Titans regular season starter. I've got high hopes for him but that preseason game against Tampa Bay last Friday didn't help ease my worries. I guess time will tell.

This is the right move for the Titans. Locker has great athleticism but his accuracy issues are still in full force. And if that can be fixed, the only way is with more repetitions.

I don't think the Titans are really a contender without a franchise QB. I don't think Hasselbeck can be that guy at this point in his career, although he deserves a lot of credit for what he was able to do in 2011 as a 36 year old QB. So, going forward, it makes sense to get Locker his playing time, and see if he can be that franchise QB.

It reminds me a bit of when the Bengals sat down a still-productive Jon Kitna to start Carson Palmer. It's iffy in the near term, but it's the best move in the long term.

*Legion* wrote:
AnimeJ wrote:

I totally get that going 5-11 is better than going 2-14, but with a solid quarterback anchoring the offense, they've got a proven track record of making the playoffs fairly consistently, even if they did it two years ago on a wild card, which they lost.

That "proven track record" is with a roster of players that no longer exists, with coaches that are no longer there, and with a GM that's no longer there.

The roster has been depleted by a few straight years of bad drafting by Bill Polian (who, mind you, I still consider to have been an excellent GM and would not have fired. But the last few drafts of his have been a black mark).

Yes, when Polian was drafting hits left and right, the team kept making the playoffs. But there is a delay between when the bad drafting starts and when the roster decay hits. The bad drafting started a few years ago, the decay hit in full force last year.

The team was headed down into the dumps, Manning or no Manning. The timing just happened to coincide, and make the dropoff all the more dramatic.

If Luck becomes a star, that will jumpstart things, but the team is in a deep hole from bad drafting, and that takes some time to dig out of. We'll see how much value they get not only out of Luck, but the rest of the 2012 draft class. The rebuilding effort needs every good pick it can get.

Fair enough, that's why I asked. I don't follow the Colts at all; they're nothing but dirty hippie traitors to my Baltimore turned mind. So when they have a good run, hitting the playoffs each year even barely, then the star tanks a season and they flounder, well, it looks like what it is.

AnimeJ wrote:

Fair enough, that's why I asked. I don't follow the Colts at all; they're nothing but dirty hippie traitors to my Baltimore turned mind. So when they have a good run, hitting the playoffs each year even barely, then the star tanks a season and they flounder, well, it looks like what it is.

There's no question that Manning held off the decline for at least a year - the defense started tanking in 2010, but Manning propped the offense up enough for the team to still make the playoffs, albeit with the worst record the team had had in 8 years, and with the benefit of a largely non-competitive division. In hindsight, the writing was all over the wall at that point.

*Legion* wrote:
AnimeJ wrote:

Fair enough, that's why I asked. I don't follow the Colts at all; they're nothing but dirty hippie traitors to my Baltimore turned mind. So when they have a good run, hitting the playoffs each year even barely, then the star tanks a season and they flounder, well, it looks like what it is.

There's no question that Manning held off the decline for at least a year - the defense started tanking in 2010, but Manning propped the offense up enough for the team to still make the playoffs, albeit with the worst record the team had had in 8 years, and with the benefit of a largely non-competitive division. In hindsight, the writing was all over the wall at that point.

Besides how Luck fairs I think it should be really interesting to see how the switch to a 3-4 goes. Will Freeney handle the transition like Elvis Dumervil did and post up big sacks or will he be rendered ineffective?

What?!?

Well, I guess if a womanizing body builder and action movie hero can become a Governor than just about anything is possible.

garion333 wrote:

What?!?

Well, I guess if a womanizing body builder and action movie hero can become a Governor than just about anything is possible.

IMAGE(http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t22/Gumbie84/rrDOk.gif)

Hm. They were making a big deal this week about the new host being officially named on Sept 4.

Stele wrote:

Hm. They were making a big deal this week about the new host being officially named on Sept 4.

Which happens to be the night before the season opener... featuring the Giants.

Interesting article about new technology in the NFL: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/...

I really thought the Chiefs were going to be nasty this year. I had them penciled in for winning the AFC West but KC looked like they were scared to do anything decent in their preseason game against the Seahawks. Berry and Charles both looked great but they can't carry their respective sides of the ball. KC you should call about Tavaris Jackson, he'd fit in perfectly with your stable of short throwing QBs.

Speaking of short throwing QBs but is it me or are all bad QBs now Captain Checkdown? I'd rather see poorly thrown bombs then 2 yard dump off plays. Put Derek Anderson in!

On the positive side, I'm a little freaked out by how good Russell Wilson looks. The Seahawks don't develop QBs, we usually trade/sign them so I don't know what to think about having a rookie QB all of a sudden as the starter. I know Wilson hasn't been named it yet but he played like a starting QB in the 3rd preseason game and that is usually when good players play good.

Elliottx wrote:

On the positive side, I'm a little freaked out by how good Russell Wilson looks. The Seahawks don't develop QBs, we usually trade/sign them so I don't know what to think about having a rookie QB all of a sudden as the starter. I know Wilson hasn't been named it yet but he played like a starting QB in the 3rd preseason game and that is usually when good players play good.

Wilson played three very good years at N.C. State, then went to Wisconsin and had a monster year.

He has a strong arm, a good head on his shoulders and every tangible and intangible you'd want in a QB except for his height. If he were 6-2 or bigger, he'd be in the Luck/RG3 conversation.

Charles and Hillis should keep KC moving on the ground, but their playcalling will be predictable. Their top three coaches are all guys that were horrible with the Browns, and that won't change. Their only hope is that the talent can win despite the coaching.

Watching Jay Cutler throw to Brandon Marshall versus the Giants last night was pure joy for a Bears fan like myself. Marshall is just what the Bears needed. Now if they can only get the running game going, Forte stunk up the joint last night.

Enix wrote:

If [Wilson] were 6-2 or bigger, he'd be in the Luck/RG3 conversation.

He had mediocre showings in his pre-draft workouts. I recall hearing he floated a few long balls in his Senior Bowl workout. Height is certainly a concern, but I think the so-so arm strength he showed was a bigger knock against him.

Davin Joseph has a broken kneecap. Bad news for the Bucs.

Justin Blackmon has been like a roaring river of fresh water running through the barren desert that has been the Jaguar WR corps. I didn't expect so much of an immediate impact, and we'll see how well that rolls through into the regular season, but the talent level is extremely apparent. Virtually every catch he's made in preseason has been in traffic and followed with a broken tackle on the most immediate defender.

Basically, so far, he's looked like what I thought Michael Crabtree was going to look like in the NFL. And Gabbert's looking his way like a starved man looks at a buffet.

Now, let's see if he can stay off the Kenny Britt career path.

Houston fumbles on special teams. Hmm, maybe they're just cursed.

Dolphins trade CB Vontae Davis to the Dolphins for a 2nd round pick. Gotta say that's a great move for the Colts imho as Davis is only 22 years old.

Also, Ravens cut K Kundiff. Should've done that last season.

garion333 wrote:

Dolphins trade CB Vontae Davis to the Dolphins for a 2nd round pick. Gotta say that's a great move for the Colts imho as Davis is only 22 years old.

Also, Ravens cut K Kundiff. Should've done that last season.

Dolphins traded him to the Dolphins?

In the most important news on the earth. Vince Young news! He might be done as the Bills have traded for Tavaris Jackson.